This blog contains abstracts of researches in Library and Information Science (LIS) in the Philippines to facilitate the searching of information on LIS literature. It is also aimed to provide free access to research materials for LIS students both undergraduate and graduate students.

IntroductionToday, special libraries are confronted with various work processes, which basically support the operation of their mother organization. Organizations like power plants that manage and control large infrastructure facilities deal with a large number of various documents. The need for the maintenance and operation of numerous technical drawings, records, reports, and other documents by various organizations and stakeholders representing different locations is a major issue that could affect the effectiveness of power plant operation.

Statement of the ProblemThe study focuses on the devising of an electronic documents management system (EDMS) for the Quezon Power Plant Library. However, in determining the suitability of EDMS for the Quezon Power Plant Library, the study considers the profile of the library, the different types of documents mostly needed by the clients, enabling processes embedded in an EDMS, and the processes and linkages affected by their work.

MethodologyAs a descriptive study, this research determines the respondents' demographic profile and the situational factors which compel the library in devising a suitable EDMS. The study involved respondents of Quezon Power Plant, majority of which, are the direct clients of the plant (86.61%), and the indirect clients (13.39%), composed of plant contractors and consultants.

FindingsFindings disclosed that in terms of serviceability, there is no significant difference between the profile of the respondents and the services provided by the Quezon Power Plant Library. In terms of accessibility, the respondent's satisfaction to the present library system and adequacy of the present library documents needed in the job does not depend on age , gender, civil status and educational attainment of the respondent group. Based on informal interview with the respondent group, it reveals that they have their common preference in accessing information from their strategic sites which lessen the time spent in going to the library and increase their productivity. The effective implementation of EDMS delivers the three components of value discipline resulting to developing a library services considering the limited number of library staff, limited library space and strategic locations of the direct and indirect clients of the library. On the whole, the library users are quite satisfied with the current library set-up but still there is a remarkable showing of their preferences to improve the services of the library which they expressed significantly. The proposed system will ease the burden of the librarian to accommodate more volumes of documents and cope up with the increasing demands of the library users at a time. Results of the study would help identify the current set-up of the library as perceived by the library users as to their preferences. The findings will also be used to support the justification of the need to implement the appropriate EDMS for Quezon Power Plant Library.

Library is a place in which literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes, are kept for reading, reference or lending. The library may differ in many aspects but they all have the same objective, and that is to support the educational and research objectives of its parent organization. Nowadays, the library profession and the larger educational community are focusing their attention on service quality. With the increase in number of information resources and the student that it has to serve, the UST Miguel de Benavides Library was forced to make changes in providing services to clients. The library responds to the challenge of technology by introducing digital library services whose objective is to widen the range of information resources available and to add value to their content by making them accessible through telecommunication networks, so that users can access them anytime and anywhere.

Statement of the Problem

This study, entitled "The LibQual+ Approach to Measure the Library User's Perceptions and Expectations of Digital Library Services of the University of Santo Tomas Library", aims to find out if there are discrepancies as well as a significant difference between the expectations of library users and the actual quality of service present in digital library services offered.

Methodology

The respondents were composed of 285 undergraduate students, 35 graduate students, and 73 faculty members. The instrument used contained the following: a demographic profile questionnaire, a questionnaire adapted from the LibQual+, a customer satisfaction questionnaire, and open-ended questions asking for comments about the different digital library services currently offered. A 9-point Likert scale was used to determine the extent of the respondents' feelings towards the questions in the LibQual+ - based questionnaire, indicating their minimum, desired and perceived service levels. The data gathered was analyzed by tallying the comments about the services offered, as well as by plotting the means of answers to all questionnaire items in graphs. A t-test was also used to compute for the significant difference between responses.

Findings

Findings disclosed that there was no significant difference between expectations and actual quality of service. It was also found that there was a negative service superiority gap and a positive service adequacy gap present in the quality of service in the UST library. This implies that while the library is not meeting the desired level of quality of the clients, the service that they are providing is adequate enough to meet the minimum level of service wanted. On the whole, the library are quite satisfied with the services offered by the UST library, but there are some library services that still needs improvement.

One of the most important agencies in the school is thelibrary. This is where the foundation of lifetime learning starts through reading. Fostering competence and students' reading interest by using information and by working with educators in designing learning strategies to meet their needs is one of its main objectives. In order to carry out the library's goal to provide learning experiences that would help students become discriminating consumers and skilled creators of information, an effective Library Instruction Program (LIP) also known as Bibliographic Instruction (BI) needs to be developed.

Statement of the Problem

The study under investigation is premised on Booth and Fabian's student-centered development model which emphasizes the importance of interaction and collaboration among multiple stakeholders. Collaboration among faculty, administrators, and librarians is fundamental to Information Literacy (LI). A successful collaboration requires comprehensive planning and shared leadership. The teacher brings an understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, attitudes and interests of the students and of the content to be taught while the librarian, on the other hand, being the information collector and manager, is in the unique position to teach information literacy to students having a holistic knowledge of the school's curriculum.

Methodology

The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data using multi-method approach that contains both formative and summative dimension which draws on a range of research strategies and techniques that will result in improved and enriched findings to yield greater understanding of what is happening, why is it happening and how is it happening.

Findings

Findings reveal that the student respondents are more exposed to bibliographic skills (AWM=3.17) than research skills (AWM=2.86) and information literacy skills (AWM=2.63). This is evident with the Grade 7 students since there is a high and significant difference in the level of their exposure to the different library skills rather than the other grade levels for they have stayed longer in the school and have much more experience in applying the different library skills to their studies. Using Sandler's A-test for small samples showed that there is no significant difference in the libraryinstruction program rendered by the reading teachers vis a vis library instruction rendered by the school librarians, hence (A=0.327 > .293) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings also reveal that there is a substantial or marked coefficient or correlation (0.70) at 0.05 significance level. Such findings imply that both library instructions rendered by the reading teachers and the school librarians would entice their students to use the library to a great extent. The coefficient of determination (.49) explains how the respondent students perceived the motivational quality of library instructions as provided by the reading teachers and the school librarians.

Conclusions

On the whole, analysis of the results of the survey instruments indicate that there is still a need to improve the present instruction program of Miriam College Grade School as rendered by the school librarians to their students. Emphasis must be given on the development of information literacy skills as suggested by the reading teachers and the use of the internet for research as suggested by the student respondents. The librarian's method of teaching also needs to be improved and enhanced using different media in order to maintain students' interest to ensure effectiveness of instruction.

Libraries have long championed the concept of unrestricted access to information.However, such access will be impossible if the citizens are ignorant of the quantity and scope of the information available and how best to retrieve that information.Librarians are mandated by their profession to provide researchers with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance their role in support of learning.The library media specialist works with the students and other members of the learning community to analyze learning and information needs, to locate and use resources that will meet those needs, and to understand and communicate the information the resource provides.

The Problem

The primary aim of this study was to formulate a five-year development plan for the Aldersgate College (AC) High School Science Library.As a basis, the study first described the current status of the AC High School Science Library in various aspects concerning secondary school and identified the problems and needs of the library users.Specifically, the study (1) described the general profile and status of the High School Science Library of the AldersgateCollege in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya and evaluated it based on the standards for secondary school libraries as prescribed by the DECS Bulletin No. 1, series of 1988, enclosure No. 2 (Recommended Minimum Library Standards for Secondary Schools), along the following aspects: 1.1. Physical Plant and Set-Up; 1.2. Furniture and Equipment; 1.3. Collection/Holdings; 1.4. Personnel/Staff; and 1.5. Library Services; (2) identified the library users’ problems and needs which the library should respond to; and (3) formulated a proposed medium-term or five-year library development plan based on the profile and evaluation of the AC High School Science Library against the DECS standards and on the library users’ problems and needs.

Methodology

The study employed the descriptive-evaluative method to draw a general picture of the Aldersgate College High School Science Library.Data were gathered through the use of the researcher-developed questionnaire and documentary sources.Personal observation, ocular inspection, and interview were conducted to enrich and strengthen the information gathered.The study had two (2) groups of respondents namely faculty and students.

Findings

1. Physical Plant and Set-Up.The Aldersgate College High School Science Library was evaluated by the students and faculty to have complied with the standards on “Physical Plant and Facilities” to a “moderate” or average extent. Hence, there is still much to be improved.However, there are specific standards that were complied with to an “extensive” extent (or above average), namely: a) The library can serve 10% of the enrolment (35-40 students) at a time; and b) The library provides atmosphere conducive to reading and study.On the other hand, the library complied with the following only to a “little” extent: The library is equipped with comfortable functional and properly spaced furniture.All the other specific standards were complied with one extensive seating capacity.

2. Furniture and Equipment.Ninety-seven (97) to one hundred (100) percent of the respondents indicated that the facilities listed were present except, a computer with printer.This aspect of the library was complied with to an above average extent as shown by the mean 4.00 for both students and teachers their overall rating.

3. Collection.The overall rating on compliance by the students was described as “moderate” with a mean of 2.98 while the teachers’ overall rating was described as “extensive” with a mean of 3.56.Since the overall rating was only to a “moderate” extent, the librarians should do something about it as it leaves much to be desired for the improvement of the collection.The students rated all items about the collections as complied with to a moderate extent whereas the teachers assesses only 5 items as complied with to a moderate degree and described 8 items as extensive.The teachers rated higher compared with the students.

4. Personnel and Staff.The AC High School Science Library’s organization and management of the library collection was rated as “moderate degree” with a mean of 3.16 while the overall rating by the teachers was also to a “moderate degree” with a mean of 3.46 which is a little higher than that of the students.Since the ratings were equivalent to 3 on a 6 point scale, there is still room for improvement.All items were rated to a “moderate degree” by both the students’ and teachers’ ratings.

5. Library Services.The AC High School Science Library’s staffing was evaluated by students and teachers alike as complying with the standards to a “moderate” extent as indicated by a mean score of 3.18.The teachers and students gave a similar rating for all the items.The only exception is that the students rated one item to be complied with only to a “little” extent, namely: The library has written policies, procedures, rules and regulations embodied in a handbook.This is an aspect that needs to be addressed in the proposed AC High School Science Library’s Five Year Development Plan.

6. Library Utilization.In terms of the library’s utilization, the Aldersgate College High School Science Library was evaluated by both the students and teachers as complying with the standards to a “moderate” extent, as shown by an overall mean score of 2.92.The evaluation indicates that there is still need for improvement.Such should be addressed in the AC High School Science Library’s Development Plan.

Conclusions

On the basis of the findings of the study, the following conclusions were arrived at about the state of the Aldersgate College High School Science Library vis-à-vis the library standards promulgated by the Department of Education.They were all summed up to one thing: There is much to be desired with respect to the present conditions of the high school library.They are a far cry from the requirements as spelled out in the library standards formulated by the Department of Education.

Recommendations

1. The location of the high school library should be transferred to the ground floor of the high school building near the principal’s Office to become more accessible to the library users and should follow the space as required by the standards.

2. The library should be furnished with functional, well-designed and standard furniture and equipment.

3. There should be a well-balanced, good quality and enough quantity of collection, organized for effectiveness catalogued according to simple rules.

4. A full-time professionally qualified librarian that had met the standard should be assigned in the high school library considering the number of students.

5. The librarian should ensure that the library services should be delivered to the highest extent.

6. Above all, the study recommends the consideration by the Aldersgate College Administration should adapt or implement the Proposed Medium-Term Library Development Plan formulated by the researcher to improve the AC High School Science Library.